7 Most Anticipated Movies of July 2016

July sees some big movies touching down across SA, but we’ve selected the top 7 that have our anticipation-meters redlining.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows

Release date: 1 July 2016

The sizeable success of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot meant that a sequel was inevitable, and we’re pretty excited. We loved the first and can’t wait for the follow-up, which sees the return Megan Fox, Will Arnett, William Fichtner, and the original Turtles cast.

This time, though, the movie is being directed by Earth To Echo‘s David Green, who takes over from Jonathan Liebesman. One of the new faces that will grace the screen will be Stephen Amell, who will be playing the role of Casey Jones, a love interest of April O’Neil. Well-known monstrous villains Bebop and Rocksteady are making an appearance too, and Tyler Perry will be taking on the role of Baxter Stockman, another key Turtles villain.

Ice Age: Collision Course

Release date: 8 July 2016

Ice Age: Collision Course sees everyone’s beloved prehistoric gang returning for a fifth adventure. This time however, the focus shifts to the unluckiest sabre-tooth squirrel, Scrat, and his legendary pursuit of the ever-elusive acorn, which finds him in outer space where he inadvertently causes a series of cosmic events that threaten the planet. In order to rescue the world, Sid (John Leguizamo), Manny (Ray Romano), Diego (Denis Leary) and the gang embark on an epic quest, which takes them to exotic lands and puts them face-to-face with a new, yet not-so-new enemy.

Miles Ahead

Release date: 8 July 2016

Miles Davis was an American jazz legend and lauded as one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, and this new biopic explores Davis’s life and music, focusing on the latter part of his expansive career in the 1970s. Don Cheadle stars as the famed musician in one of the toughest period of his career: when the hard-pressed jazz trumpeter tried to recover a new session tape from music producers.

Mr. Right

Release date: 8 July 2016

Anna Kendrick (who is in just about everything these days) and Sam Rockwell star in Mr Right, which tells the story of a woman who seems to be on a losing streak when it comes to love, but falls for a man who appears to be everything she’s ever dreamed of. Although Mr. Right has one fatal flaw, he’s a hitman. The couple find themselves on the run, struggling to deal with their own trust issues and encountering criminals from his chequered past. This looks to be the more enjoyable rom-com of the month.

The Legend of Tarzan

Release date: 15 July 2016

Alexander Skarsgård packed on the muscle to play the iconic Tarzan in this new reimagined story of the iconic character. Years after leaving the jungles of Africa and adopting a gentrified life in London as John Clayton III, Tarzan is invited back to his former home in the Congo as a trade emissary of Parliament. Unbeknown to him and his wife, Jane Porter, his homecoming is part of a deadly plot masterminded by corrupt and greedy Belgian Captain Léon Rom. Ella Purnell, Margot Robbie, and Samuel L. Jackson also star.

Star Trek: Beyond

Release date: July 2016

Fast and Furious 5 and 6 director Justin Lin takes over the directing responsibilities of the Star Trek franchise while JJ Abrams focuses on the Star Wars: Episode VIII, and the next instalment in the rebooted series is looking pretty damn good. Star Trek: Beyond sees the USS Enterprise crew attacked by an unknown alien force and marooned on a hostile planet. Chris Pine, Karl Urban, John Cho, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana return, with Idris Elba joining the cast as a mysterious new villain.

Ghostbusters

Release date: 29 July 2016

The all-female rebooted Ghostbusters film seems to have fans sceptical, but it has enough star power and talent behind it to deliver something special. Bridesmaids and Spy director Paul Feig is behind this one, with Melissa McCarthy, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, and Chris Hemsworth all starring. It looks to be taking a more blockbuster approach to its scale rather than the campy approach of the original Ghostbusters films, but we’re excited to see how this one pans out.

What movie are you most excited for this month? Let us know in the comments below and tweet us @MenStuffZA!